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Virtual Book Tour: Kate and the Kid by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Kicks

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anne and Kenneth will be awarding a $40 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Thanks for stopping by My World of Dreams. Tell me how you got into writing.

We were both voracious readers at a very early age. Writing evolved directly from reading, also at a very early age. We both wrote stories that were not assigned schoolwork in elementary school.

What inspired you to write Kate and the Kid?

We had a friend who was taking care of a baby in the hope that she would be able to adopt. When that fell through for her, she was greatly affected. We took the idea of a woman becoming attached to a child that was not her own and changed the woman into someone who at first did not want to care for a child at all.

Tell me about Kate and the Kid in a tweet.

Kate thought taking care of a needy child was the last thing she needed. Turned out it was exactly what she needed.

How did the idea form in your mind for Kate and the Kid?

From the basic idea referred to in our answer to question number 2, the book gradually evolved to include the topic of love in general, including the love between Kate and Roger and between the child’s erstwhile mother and Jenny. It also grew to include Kate’s conflicted feelings toward her own mother, who was so wrapped up in her work that she had little time for Kate.

Were the characters fun to bring to life?

All of the characters were fun to write. One of our favorites was Sally, the woman who lives next door to Kate. She is a really tough New Yorker, with a terrible temper, but despite her quirks – that get in the way of taking care of Jenny – she also has a heart of gold.

Who are your influences?

We would both say Kurt Vonnegut and Charles Dickens. Ken would add William Faulkner and James Joyce, (but he can be sort of pretentious.)

What has been your greatest moment as a writer?

This is very hard to say. Certainly, getting the word from a publisher that they will publish your book is a wonderful feeling that never seems to get old. However, it is also terrific to hear from a reader who has read and enjoyed our book. Please encourage all readers to write reviews or even to contact the author directly through Facebook.

Tell me about a book you want to write.

We are working on a big book (800 plus pages) right now called Minister. In follows a young man through about twenty years of his life from growing up in a small town to working as the head of a large suburban church. The plot details his struggles with his brother and with his own doubts and lingering questions.

Are you able to remember your ideas when writing or do you carry around a notebook or something similar for your ideas?

We occasionally jot down notes, but we both believe that a really good idea is not easily forgotten. The bad ones tend to evaporate.

Where is your favorite place to write? For example on your patio, at a special desk, in a nearby park, etc.

We are very boring in this respect. Anne sits in an easy chair in our living room. Ken sits at a small table near a window in our bedroom. (Red faces).

What are you working on now?

We will soon be publishing a new suspense novel called Praise Her, Praise Diana, through Melange Publishing. We are also working on Minister (see answer to question 8, above) as well as some books for beginning and middle readers, which we both write and illustrate. One will be called Splotch and involves a photograph of some dried paint that looks like a dog. When the main character’s mother won’t buy him a puppy, he takes a picture of the “splotch.” However, once the image is uploaded to his computer, it takes on an existence of its own and gets him into trouble.

Is there anything you want to add?

At this point, we have published a mainstream novel, a middle reader novel, and a mystery/suspense novel all of which are based in New York City. We hope that your readers will try and enjoy at least one of them! We would love to hear from them.

KATE AND THE KID is about a young woman (Kate) who has just lost her job and had a major fight with her boyfriend (also arising from the trauma of being fired). At this very low point in her life, Kate is tricked into taking care of a sweet but emotionally damaged six-year-old girl (Jenny) who only communicates with adults through a doll she calls “Miranda.” As a result of an eventful night of babysitting, Kate begins to bond with Jenny, which causes a whole new set of complications with the people in Kate’s and Jenny’s lives. This book tells the story of how Kate and Jenny help each other to heal, grow, and navigate the difficult and sometimes dangerous world of New York City.

Enjoy an excerpt:

She began to press all the buzzers on the panel in the building’s foyer, one after the other, hoping that some kind soul among her neighbors would let her in. The headache that had started in the cab settled in for the night, pounding just above her right eye. At that exquisite moment, Kate saw the kid -- that ghostly, smudge-faced kid -- sitting on the staircase inside. A one armed Barbie doll was on the step beside her.

"Hi, Sweetie!" Kate said through the wired glass, exaggerating the enunciation of the words to make her meaning clear. "Would you come and let me in, honey? You remember me, don’t you? I live on the third floor?!"

The girl did not budge, apparently still trying for the grand prize in a zombie look-alike contest. At first, Kate felt a twinge of concern for the girl. Why on earth was she out in the hallway so late in the evening? Kate leaned her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Jenny took the doll into her lap, whispered something into her plastic ear, walloped her twice across the bottom, and started up the stairs.

"Hey! Hey, where are you going?!" Kate shouted. "Hey you better come back here you little... Hey! Hey, did you hear me?!"

And with the little darling thus doubly emblazoned on Kate's mind, if not yet on her heart, their second encounter ended.

About the Authors:

Anne Rothman-Hicks was born in New York City and, except for a brief exile to the suburbs imposed by her parents, she has lived there all of her life, the latter part of which she has shared with her co-author, Kenneth Hicks, and their three children.

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